On May 12, we release unto the world of Earth the second volume of the World of Thedas. It’s a hefty tome of some 311 pages, lovingly penned and drawn by the Dragon Age writing and concept art teams. In it, you’ll find an ultimate authority on myriad colorful characters, both legendary and contemporary, who populate the Dragon Age universe. More than 176,000 words cover three games, five novels, three comic series, and an anime feature film. There are recipes and children’s stories—entire chapters ripped from in-world books like the Chant of Light. The book is meant to complement the first volume of the World of Thedas, now in its third printing.

To celebrate its release, we thought we’d share something special not found in the book: twin short stories penned by Joanna Berry, a BioWare writer and the creator of Corypheus’s favored followers: Samson and Calpernia.

Today, we better get to know Samson, a rogue templar with a thirst for red lyrium.